Category: Cooking Class

Starting off with a cup of home-made Masala tea, our authentic Indian cooking experience unraveled as we met in Mukti’s (actual) Kitchen in Kensington, Brooklyn. On the menu was a special meal consisting of Butter Chicken, Pakora (fritters), Aloo Paratha (Indian bread with potato stuffing), Saag Paneer (spinach in Indian cheese) and Raita (cucumbers in yoghurt).

Balinese cooking is deeply weaved into local traditions and customs. Food plays a major role in Balinese ceremonies and offerings too so it should be no surprise the amount of care and attention that goes into preparing a meal. Spices are carefully selected to add flavour to even the most ordinary of ingredients and traditional cookware (such as volcanic mortar and pestle for grinding) are still preferred over modern appliances.

Megalochori is a picturesque village located on the south western plain of Santorini that dates back to the 17th century. Tucked away within a labyrinth of cobblestone streets, you’ll come across beautiful historical mansions behind intricately carved wooden doors, traditional white-washed houses and charming courtyards shielded from the Santorini sun with flowering vines. Megalochori was actually home to wealthy wine merchants exporting the glorious Vinsanto that the island is known for and a great effort has been made to restore it to its former glory.

My first cooking lesson in Barcelona began at the Boqueria market for a shopping tour. Everyone was from a different country and the group included (mostly) newly-weds and families traveling together. I was the only one on my own, but felt very welcomed.

Our market tour started at 3:45 pm that day and never before had I enjoyed shopping for groceries as much! The Boqueria is an amalgamate of scents, flavors, and people (it tends to be busy throughout the day). Even pigeons fly in to get a peek – or taste, if they’re lucky! Even if you’re not hungry walking through it, your stomach will start to rumble with the wide collection of fresh foods all around you.